وَجَعَلنَا اللَّيلَ لِباسًا

وَجَعَلنَا النَّهارَ مَعاشًا

And make the night a covering?

And make the day for livelihood?

EXEGESIS

Jaʿalnā (make) is a transitive verb that takes two objects.

In verse 11, maʿāshan (livelihood) is the second object and indicates the purpose of the verb. The same can be said concerning the endings of many other verses here, such as mihādan (verse 6), subātan (verse 9), and libāsan (verse 10). Another possibility is that maʿāsh is a name of time (ism al-zamān) or that maʿāshan is an object for where the verb occurs (mafʿūlun fīh). Thus, the meaning is: We made the day as a time for seeking livelihood.^{‎[1]Tabrisi, 10/639-640; Mizan, 20/163.} This meaning would be applicable only in verse 11, and not to the endings of the other verses.

EXPOSITION

Given the context of these verses, the night is a covering for mankind. It is like a cover that completely envelopes them, blocks their sight, and brings a compulsory recess to their daily activities.^{‎[2]Mizan, 20/162.} The Quran also talks about the night covering the day (7:54), which also covers the night in return (36:37, 39:5), the night covering the sun (91:4), and the night simply being a covering (92:1). These interrelated aspects of the same event also boil down to the night being a covering for mankind. Since the verse attributes the creation of night to God, it could be used as a refutation of the Manichaean view that light and darkness have two independent creators.^{‎[3]Alusi, 15/206.}

Because of daylight, the day is the most suitable time to pursue one’s livelihood through farming, manufacturing, services, and trade. Out of His mercy He has made for you the night and the day, that you may rest therein and that you may seek from His grace and so that you may give thanks (28:73). It is also possible that maʿāsh here does not mean livelihood but that it means life. In other words, after your inactivity and dormancy of sleeping during the night, We raise you back to life during the day: It is He who made for you the night as a covering and sleep for rest and He made the day a recall to life (25:47; also see 6:60). This sense would complement the third interpretation of verse 9 (see Exegesis), where God has made sleep a mini-death.^{‎[4]Kashif, 7/499.} It is not easy to decide between these two meanings as the word maʿāsh has only been used here in the Quran.

This verse may involve the idea that There is no animal on the earth, but that its sustenance lies with Allah (11:6) in a very subtle way. This is deduced by comparing this verse by the verses after it which talk about God’s creation and direction of the universe irrespective of mankind’s role or contribution. The earth is a cradle; mountains are means of security; humankind is made of two sexes; sleep is a means of rest; the night is made a covering; there are seven heavens above us; there is a radiant lamp in the sky; and water is sent down from the clouds. All of these are definite facts and certain phenomena in the world of creation with which we are treated. And so is the day as a means of our livelihood. God (and not us) provides our livelihoods through the means of day. The position of this verse in the middle of several cosmic events before and after it could be a way of implying this idea, as it is necessary for the uniformity of the verses. A similar inference to this is found in hadiths concerning verse 30:40, where one ‘uncertain’ matter is mentioned in the middle of three doubtless facts.

At the end, two points should be clarified: 1. People are at different levels of certitude concerning God’s promise and provision, and they view their means and instruments of livelihood at different degrees of independence. Therefore, one should not impose on oneself or others a burden beyond the bearer’s capacity, although one should always seek to expand and evolve one’s capacity. In other words, these are deep and subtle inferences from the Quran that may count as secrets and mysteries to some individuals, depending on one’s level of awareness and enlightenment. 2. The same God, Quran, and hadith that have solemnly vowed that our sustenance shall reach us unconditionally (51:22-23), have ordered us to seek sustenance – not because our work and effort are causes of our livelihood, but because they involve other benefits and wisdoms, such as being a medium for trial, growth, and spiritual realisation. We made the night and the day two signs. Then We effaced the sign of the night, and made the sign of the day lightsome that you may seek grace from your Lord (17:12). We should do our duty as servants, and entrust the results to our Lord. As Prophets Moses (a) and Jesus (a) said: ‘Ye shall not tempt the LORD thy God,’^{‎[5]Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7.} for if you tempt and test Him, it means that you do not really trust Him.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. Imam Ali (a) said: ‘How enfeebling is sleep to the firm determinations of the day!’^{‎[6]Nahj, sermon 241 and saying 440.}

Note: This elegant aphorism refers to the weakness of mankind. The same people who run around during the day fervently, engage in their business with a fixed mind, hold professional meetings, and pursue their success with a solid determination will be overcome with sleep and fall like helpless babies in the lap of their mothers. This stop (the root meaning of sabt and subāt, as discussed in Exegesis) of our daily endeavours and plans should remind us that we are not at the top of the world and in control of the affairs in our lives. We should also remember that a similar stop will happen to us upon death, but that will be a permanent termination. ‘So build your [eternal] abode, and do not sell your hereafter to your world.’^{‎[7]Nahj, letter 31.}

2. Imam al-Sajjād (a) says: ‘He created the night for them so that they might rest in it from tiring movements and wearisome exertions. He made it a garment for them, that they might be clothed in its ease and its sleep, so that it might be for them refreshment and strength, so that they might reach therein pleasure and passion. He created for them the daytime, giving sight, so they might seek within it of His bounty, find the means to His provision, and roam freely in His earth, searching for their immediate gain in their life of this world, and to achieve their postponed gain in their life to come. Through all of this He sets right their situation, tries their records, and watches their state in the times for obeying Him, the waystations of His obligations, and the places of His ordinances, that He may requite those who do evil for what they have done, and reward those who do good with the best [of rewards] [53:31].’^{‎[8]Sahifah, supplication 6, translated by William Chittick (with minor edition).}

Note: One of the blessings of night is that it is a covering for those who awake at night. It covers them from strangers and outsiders, so that they may taste the pleasure of an intimate conversation or vision of their beloved in private.^{‎[9]Bursawi, 10/295.}

The night is a veil for a lover and friend

I wish its time would never come to an end.^{‎[10]ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Warqāʾ.}

3. Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) told his companion Mufaḍḍal: ‘Ponder about the benefit of sunset. Had it not been for sunset, people would not have had any respite or repose, despite their great need for respite and repose so that their bodies and senses may rest, their digestive systems may digest the food, and the organs may receive energy. But without it, greed would have made people continue working to the point that it would have immensely harmed their bodies. Indeed there are many people that if they were not to be covered by the night and its darkness, they would have had no rest or respite due to their greed for earning, hoarding, and accumulation.’^{‎[11]Mufaḍḍal ibn ʿUmar, Tawḥīd Mufaḍḍal, p. 128.}

Note: This long and famous narration touches on many other wisdoms and signs in God’s creation, some of which are also seen in this chapter.

4. The Prophet and the Imams have used many of the verses 6-20 in their supplications and litanies, such as Duʿāʾ al-Ṣabāḥ and Duʿāʾ al-Jawshan al-Kabī Furthermore, for one who has a hard time falling asleep it has been recommended to recite verses 2:255, 8:11, and 78:9.^{‎[12]Makarim, p. 290.}

[1] Tabrisi, 10/639-640; Mizan, 20/163.
[2] Mizan, 20/162.
[3] Alusi, 15/206.
[4] Kashif, 7/499.
[5] Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7.
[6] Nahj, sermon 241 and saying 440.
[7] Nahj, letter 31.
[8] Sahifah, supplication 6, translated by William Chittick (with minor edition).
[9] Bursawi, 10/295.
[10] ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Warqāʾ.
[11] Mufaḍḍal ibn ʿUmar, Tawḥīd Mufaḍḍal, p. 128.
[12] Makarim, p. 290.